{"id":"01KJRRE0N9TQNZX1J58KV29WW1","cid":"bafkreiabrchz5kxsawy4ahapyt6cgzumnizlfq6h4nkspldw5lkzrozffe","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":229231,"char_start":221254,"chunk_index":31,"chunk_total":108,"estimated_tokens":1995,"label":"sister scarcely opened their mouths except to comp","source_file_key":"pride-and-prejudice","text":"sister scarcely opened their mouths except to complain of fatigue, and\r\nwere evidently impatient to have the house to themselves. They repulsed\r\nevery attempt of Mrs. Bennet at conversation, and, by so doing, threw a\r\nlanguor over the whole party, which was very little relieved by the long\r\nspeeches of Mr. Collins, who was complimenting Mr. Bingley and his\r\nsisters on the elegance of their entertainment, and the hospitality and\r\npoliteness which had marked their behaviour to their guests. Darcy said\r\nnothing at all. Mr. Bennet, in equal silence, was enjoying the scene.\r\nMr. Bingley and Jane were standing together a little detached from the\r\nrest, and talked only to each other. Elizabeth preserved as steady a\r\nsilence as either Mrs. Hurst or Miss Bingley; and even Lydia was too\r\nmuch fatigued to utter more than the occasional exclamation of “Lord,\r\nhow tired I am!” accompanied by a violent yawn.\r\n\r\nWhen at length they arose to take leave, Mrs. Bennet was most pressingly\r\ncivil in her hope of seeing the whole family soon at Longbourn; and\r\naddressed herself particularly to Mr. Bingley, to assure him how happy\r\nhe would make them, by eating a family dinner with them at any time,\r\nwithout the ceremony of a formal invitation. Bingley was all grateful\r\npleasure; and he readily engaged for taking the earliest opportunity of\r\nwaiting on her after his return from London, whither he was obliged to\r\ngo the next day for a short time.\r\n\r\nMrs. Bennet was perfectly satisfied; and quitted the house under the\r\ndelightful persuasion that, allowing for the necessary preparations of\r\nsettlements, new carriages, and wedding clothes, she should undoubtedly\r\nsee her daughter settled at Netherfield in the course of three or four\r\nmonths. Of having another daughter married to Mr. Collins she thought\r\nwith equal certainty, and with considerable, though not equal, pleasure.\r\nElizabeth was the least dear to her of all her children; and though the\r\nman and the match were quite good enough for _her_, the worth of each\r\nwas eclipsed by Mr. Bingley and Netherfield.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration:\r\n\r\n     “to assure you in the most animated language”\r\n]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCHAPTER XIX.\r\n\r\n\r\n[Illustration]\r\n\r\nThe next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collins made his\r\ndeclaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as\r\nhis leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday, and having\r\nno feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself even at the\r\nmoment, he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all the\r\nobservances which he supposed a regular part of the business. On finding\r\nMrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, and one of the younger girls together, soon\r\nafter breakfast, he addressed the mother in these words,--\r\n\r\n“May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth,\r\nwhen I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the\r\ncourse of this morning?”\r\n\r\nBefore Elizabeth had time for anything but a blush of surprise, Mrs.\r\nBennet instantly answered,--\r\n\r\n“Oh dear! Yes, certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy--I am sure\r\nshe can have no objection. Come, Kitty, I want you upstairs.” And\r\ngathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth\r\ncalled out,--\r\n\r\n“Dear ma’am, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins must excuse\r\nme. He can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear. I am\r\ngoing away myself.”\r\n\r\n“No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you will stay where you are.” And\r\nupon Elizabeth’s seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about\r\nto escape, she added, “Lizzy, I _insist_ upon your staying and hearing\r\nMr. Collins.”\r\n\r\nElizabeth would not oppose such an injunction; and a moment’s\r\nconsideration making her also sensible that it would be wisest to get it\r\nover as soon and as quietly as possible, she sat down again, and tried\r\nto conceal, by incessant employment, the feelings which were divided\r\nbetween distress and diversion. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as\r\nsoon as they were gone, Mr. Collins began,--\r\n\r\n“Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far from\r\ndoing you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections. You\r\nwould have been less amiable in my eyes had there _not_ been this little\r\nunwillingness; but allow me to assure you that I have your respected\r\nmother’s permission for this address. You can hardly doubt the purport\r\nof my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you to\r\ndissemble; my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost as\r\nsoon as I entered the house I singled you out as the companion of my\r\nfuture life. But before I am run away with by my feelings on this\r\nsubject, perhaps it will be advisable for me to state my reasons for\r\nmarrying--and, moreover, for coming into Hertfordshire with the design\r\nof selecting a wife, as I certainly did.”\r\n\r\nThe idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run away\r\nwith by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing that she could not\r\nuse the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him farther, and\r\nhe continued,--\r\n\r\n“My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for\r\nevery clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example\r\nof matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced it will add\r\nvery greatly to my happiness; and, thirdly, which perhaps I ought to\r\nhave mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and\r\nrecommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling\r\npatroness. Twice has she condescended to give me her opinion (unasked\r\ntoo!) on this subject; and it was but the very Saturday night before I\r\nleft Hunsford,--between our pools at quadrille, while Mrs. Jenkinson was\r\narranging Miss De Bourgh’s footstool,--that she said, ‘Mr. Collins, you\r\nmust marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Choose properly, choose a\r\ngentlewoman for _my_ sake, and for your _own_; let her be an active,\r\nuseful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small\r\nincome go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a woman as soon as\r\nyou can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her.’ Allow me, by the\r\nway, to observe, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon the notice and\r\nkindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of the\r\nadvantages in my power to offer. You will find her manners beyond\r\nanything I can describe; and your wit and vivacity, I think, must be\r\nacceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect\r\nwhich her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much for my general\r\nintention in favour of matrimony; it remains to be told why my views\r\nwere directed to Longbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where I\r\nassure you there are many amiable young women. But the fact is, that\r\nbeing, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured\r\nfather (who, however, may live many years longer), I could not satisfy\r\nmyself without resolving to choose a wife from among his daughters, that\r\nthe loss to them might be as little as possible when the melancholy\r\nevent takes place--which, however, as I have already said, may not be\r\nfor several years. This has been my motive, my fair cousin, and I\r\nflatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem. And now nothing\r\nremains for me but to assure you in the most animated language of the\r\nviolence of my affection. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent, and\r\nshall make no demand of that nature on your father, since I am well\r\naware that it could not be complied with; and that one thousand pounds\r\nin the 4 per cents., which will not be yours till after your mother’s\r\ndecease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On that head,\r\ntherefore, I shall be uniformly silent: and you may assure yourself that\r\nno ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married.”\r\n\r\nIt was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now.\r\n\r\n“You are too hasty, sir,” she cried. “You forget that I have made no\r\nanswer."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJRRD3TNE5A6AKAVXSRFT9RC","peer_label":"pride-and-prejudice","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJRRC2C7K6XERRJES8143XGV","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJRREY6ZWGAT4FYVDEM6VE2E","peer_label":"mr collins","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF2V5XWPGQ8NCVBZAMV1A","peer_label":"darcy","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY5SSJCQ67QYG0XTG9A8","peer_label":"mr bingley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF06V9ABE1JZWJHE56BCY","peer_label":"miss bingley","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYT564P5405ZE4Q76ZF5","peer_label":"mrs bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZE4MTY540KMV82YTDGM","peer_label":"mrs hurst","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW2V9QH9GNRQRJT67GK","peer_label":"mr bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZKG263C7SQSDV3TZ5MX","peer_label":"elizabeth bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZGM87R12EADFF6YZZG3","peer_label":"jane bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF7VA665FKK6CM48CN8K0","peer_label":"longbourn","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY6RHWPTVXJ7SHB3NE6F","peer_label":"lydia bennet","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREZGXA5G45WS8FVH5R7BE","peer_label":"netherfield","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"estate","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYZ36C2F9Z4KP5F6ANMZ","peer_label":"london","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"city","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREY7G184NZ401P9V4JV87","peer_label":"lady catherine de bourgh","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF1J610RB97404J5Q53SH","peer_label":"hunsford","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRREYW19YDDGRB70B483ZRV","peer_label":"hertfordshire","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"county","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRF111GQ37KKZWSA5T7428","peer_label":"miss de bourgh","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFBSHJ5PV7C2DK1HQWRW8","peer_label":"quadrille","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"game","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFC0HGAWDYGY0480MZGQA","peer_label":"mrs jenkinson","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFBZ3J0A97C6P7180J6T8","peer_label":"marriage proposal collins to elizabeth","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"event","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}},{"peer":"01KJRRFBYW4TX2FEQ1ZK148VRZ","peer_label":"inheritance of longbourn","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:47.425Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-03T02:29:01.225Z","ts":"2026-03-03T02:29:48.170Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}